Third Peak

Approach

At the far North end of the Mt. Seymour Parking lot, you will see the trailhead. The trail heads to the right, initially following the ski run.

Route Description

Follow the trail as it veers left, away from ski area. This section is fairly well marked with bamboo poles. There are two initial peaks on route to Third Peak.

First Peak:
At the base of First Peak, on the South side, head straight up by kicking steps in the winter. There's a little dip down, then a little further up and you are on the summit of First Peak. I have not been up in summer, but imagine this area to be similar to a tiny section of the Grouse Grind (another local mountain), without the trees. Alternatively, you can traverse around to the north side of First Peak, which apparently is not as steep. First Peak is "billed" as three or four hours round trip.

Second Peak:
On a clear day, Second peak is easily visible to the Northwest of First Peak. It's a quick hike to get there.

Third Peak:
A little further North of Second Peak, lies Third Peak. You must descend the North slope of Second Peak which is fairly steep. Depending on snow conditions in the winter, you can either slide down, using your ice axe to arrest if necessary, or you can turnaround and descend backwards with your ice axe, kicking steps as you go. From there it's just a traverse to the base of Third Peak, and an easy scramble up. Third Peak is "billed" as five to six hours round trip from the parking lot.

For a VERY basic map, go to: Map
Note: trailhead is where the ski symbol is. First & Second Peak are refered to as First and Second "Pump". The route shown to First Peak is the long one that traverses to the North side.

Essential Gear

Despite how easy this route is on a clear day, tons of people get lost on this mountain when visibility goes and they are not prepared. A GPS or compass and Canadian Topo Map 92 G/7 (and knowing how to use them!) would save a lot of day hikers from grief.

Summer:
In the summer, this is just a hike, but do bring along rain gear & an extra layer of clothes as Vancouver weather is very unpredictable, and our mountain weather changes rapidly.

Winter:
Snow covers the entire area from November to Late May, depending on the snowfall of the year. Good boots are a must. An ice axe is handy between second and third peak, but not essential. Some members of our group managed with just hiking poles. Depending on snow conditions, post-holing could become a problem on warm days after heavy snowfall. Snowshoes or skis would obviously help. Check weather conditions before if you are concerned.
For current weather conditions, visit Environment Canada

Comments

As for how fun/worthwhile this route is, it depends entirely on your goal. This mountain is not an end in itself and is not worth making a special trip to just to climb. However, having spent one of my Rainier training weekends in Toronto, where there is nothing to train on, local mountains in Vancouver are absolutely stellar to train on when the weather is nice, and are still great experience, even when the weather sucks. So, for fitness training while having fun outdoors, and practicing snow skills etc, it rocks!

Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction